John Madden dead at 85

[Marshall Bennett]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Rest in peace, John Madden. Best ever sportscaster in the NFL as far as I am concerned.

Believe he was the first to coin the term "heavy offense/defense" describing a formation change to increase the size of the line against short yardage situations.

[thaskalos]

When I think of football...only the voices of Summerall and Madden echo in my mind. Summerall's understated elegance was the perfect complement to Madden's fiery enthusiasm...and the two of them brought the art of football broadcasting to a height that will never be reached again, IMO. Rest In Peace.

[cj]

I'll remember Madden as a great coach, better commentator, and part of the greatest video game ever. We played this for hours on end in the dorms in my early Air Force days.

[ronsmac]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

When I think of football...only the voices of Summerall and Madden echo in my mind. Summerall's understated elegance was the perfect complement to Madden's fiery enthusiasm...and the two of them brought the art of football broadcasting to a height that will never be reached again, IMO. Rest In Peace.

I was initially upset that Madden replaced Brookshier because he and Summerall were together for so long but Madden turned out to be very good.